Deity Speaks
by AotA
Summary: Ever since Mikau came back after he had vanished during those frightening days under the Moon, he had been different... Almost frightening... Mute.


Mikau shuddered slightly as Lulu wrapped her arms around him, "I'm sorry, Mikau."

The warrior Zora shook his head mutely. These days he only spoke through his music, in songs that always held a note of melancholy. It was as if the relief of the passing of the Moon simply passed him by. Something terrible weighed on his soul.

"I just wish I could just hear your voice, just one more time…" her voice was quiet as it brushed his ear.

Mikau was different, but she still loved him, no matter that he acted more like a ghost than a Zora. His scales were strangely bleach white and his tattoos mysteriously wiped away. Though since the Day of the Fallen Moon, strange warlike markings had appeared and marred his face. Instead of having his normal Zora black eyes, they had turned an empty, milky white as if he had gone blind.

Truthfully, Lulu knew that Mikau looked nothing like he used to. She almost hadn't recognized him when he had stumbled home after that Day, wounded and feverish.

Lulu was startled out of her musings when her love's white eyes turned to look at her, his usually stilted expression concerned. His hand touched her cheek gently, questioningly. Sadly, silently. _Lulu?_

"Please?" she pleaded, staring into his blank eyes.

Mikau's face saddened, and he looked away for a moment. He stood and held out a hand. _Come, follow me._

Lulu placed her hand in her love's and he led her where she had last seen him that day by the sea turtle. He gestured again. _Follow_.

He dove into the sea, bobbing back to the surface to wait for her. Lulu stared at Mikau, baffled, "What is going on, Mikau. Where are we going?"

Mikau shook his head and pointed to the distant shoreline. Still confused and more than a little worried, Lulu followed suit. Mikau gently trailed her primary fin with his own in apology, but the next second he took off, not giving her time to question him more.

Lulu dwelled on the changes in him as she followed him and continued to do so, even as they exited the sea to stand upon the sandy shore. Mikau took her hand and interlaced their fingers. He took a deep breath of air and rested their combined hands against his forehead. Lulu was concerned to notice that he was shaking again.

"Mikau!" She put her hand under his chin and turned if upwards to face her, "You don't have to tell me whatever it is if it hurts you this much!" And whatever _this_ was, it was obviously hurting him, perhaps not his body, but his heart and mind.

Mikau shook his head violently and seemed to visibly gather himself. He pulled away slightly and tugged her towards the strange human fisher's house. He led her, not straight to the odd human's house as she had thought, but around it to a spot that she hadn't ever paid attention to before.

Lulu stared at what was obviously a grave, aghast. Mikau released her hand as she walked forward as if hypnotized. It was Mikau's guitar, set against a stand. "…What?" She turned back to see Mikau's bowed form. She had seen him playing his guitar earlier that evening so how…

"…No." Lulu's voice shook as she denied what she was seeing.

Mikau took a step back and pulled out the exact same guitar that rested upon grave from his back and started to strum. It was an eerie song, more suited to a spirit than a living being. It soothed the heart, bringing tears to Lulu's eyes.

It echoed around them like eddies in water. Eventually, the last notes drifted away, and Mikau was left staring down at his guitar. Lulu took in the inzora form of her lover, truly looking at how much he had changed, seeing and not denying for the first time.

Mikau was dead.

Tears streamed down Lulu's face and she practically tackled her love and pulled him close. His guitar was sent skidding in the sand, forgotten, as she cried against his bleach white shoulder. Slowly, Mikau's white arms returned the hug, as if he had forgotten how to. He pulled her close, fiercely, as if he never wanted to ever let go again.

Quietly, throaty and hoarse, Mikau finally spoke for the first time in over a year, "…Lu…"

"Mikau," Lulu choked on his name, "how…?"

She could feel him shake his head, "De…i…ty."

That almost froze Lulu in place. The _gods_ wanted Mikau to live? Why? The Falling Moon?

Mikau eventually pulled back, but Lulu was astonished to see tear tracks just as evident upon his cheeks as they were upon her own. His mouth worked, but nothing came out and he clutched his throat, pain visible on his face. Lulu put a finger to Mikau's lips, "Hush… There will be plenty of time for speaking later. I'm just glad that you're here, no matter the reason."

Mikau gave her a tremulous smile and kissed her finger, but didn't speak. _I love you_, his blank eyes told her. Somehow, in bringing her to his grave, Mikau seemed to have become more alive, despite the fact that evidence to the contrary lay not two meters away.

"I love you too," Lulu whispered to him, returning it for the first time since that horrible day. "I love you _so_ much," her voice caught over the words with suppressed tears of sadness mingled with tears of happiness.

They stayed wrapped in each others' embraces as the evening sun finally hid behind the earth.

Reluctantly, Lulu pulled away from the embrace, "We have to go back, Love."

He let out a sound of reluctance that was a cross between a huff and a sigh but nodded.

Lulu almost grinned at the familiar sound, no matter that there were no similarly familiar plaintive words accompanying it. She had missed the old Mikau, and now she had a chance to get him _back_.


End file.
